New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-19
FREAKS OF LIGHTNING.
SOME INCIDENTS OF SUNDAYS STORM.

SOME INCIDENTS OF SUNDAYS STORM.
A woNAN's GREAT TOE CLUSTERED AT FAIRFIELD.
| N.L-DAMAGE TO SHIPPING AND ELECTRIC WIRES
The family of G. D. Van Ness living at Fairfield.
Essex County. N. j., near the Passac County liuc,
had thrilling experience with lightning late Sunday
| night The family had retired about 10 O'clock Tho
6houso 10 twostory and attic franc structure, and
I there are hve bedrooms on the se,oud floor, all OF
which were occupied. j. W. Van Ness, son of the
occuoaat OF the house. manages paper box factory In
Peterson, aud he aud his family were visiting his
| parents In the Fairfield homestead Tho inmates
we're just getting comfortably settled down to sleep
when tremendous crash came simultaneously with
binding light that pervaded the house. aud odor
like brimstone. Two lamps burning in the sleeping
roone extinguished and smashed to atoms In
all OF the five the plaster from the ceilings aud
side walls torn loose aud raned down upon the
terrified occupants of tho beds They huddled to-
gehei In the diningroom pale with fright and counted
| ncess. All unhurt except one, and that was
Ms j. s. Van Ness. Her injury consisted OF blister
on her g,eat toe in which she had felt sharp sting
| ing sensation.
there was no more sleep for that household until
the storm had subsided The bolt had struck the root
making big hole In II and scattering shingles broad
| cast some picked up in the yard yesterday
morning thirty feet away The lightning then passed
along under the root to the rear OF the buiiGing,
whery the roof was raised bodily from it's support
Then tho bolt had passed down through the ceiling
to bedrooms shaerng the plaster the different
partitions IL seems as II the lightning had divided
and made it's way between the lath and clustering In
the various walls. The room occupied by j. s. Van
Ness set fire, but he extnguished the flames.
In the slept his young son, whose bed was
moved some distance from the wall by the shock.
Alon gsds this bed the wall torn of for space OF
ak feet square.
The lightning passed out through the kitchen, tear
ing two doorirames loose and made Its hnal exit
through the side of the house, ripping of some oil the
weather boarding The damage to the house is about
goo. Not o.e OF the inmates OF the house felt any
physical effect of the electricity except tho woman
whose toe was burned. They presented u ludicrous
sight they met, scared out OF their senses aud
covered with plaster, in the dining room.
In Railway at midnight on Sunday, one bolt ex-
poded Mainst, the house OF A. Stats Bonney,
aad seriously prostrsted Mrs. Bonney.
James Brennan street In Church
st. jersey City, prostrated by lightning during tho
storm on Sunday night lie was walking across tho
street At the stables at BeTgenave and Montgomsryst
when there a binding fash OF hghtni ng and he fell
from the shock He was between tho iron rails at tho
time OF the fash and nesses say hatthe lightning
seemed along rails both aides OF him. Bren-
aimed unconscious for few minutes hut revived
after being Ia ken into neighboring drugstore HIS
body full OF aches and pains yesterday
Alexander Van syckle age eight took refuge undera
large willow tree on Hoboken commons during
afternoon One OF the large limbs was ripped
of by gust OF wind and fractured his SKULL Inc ooy
ed his home Spring and West sts Jersey
City.
John Gamm ond took refuge under willow tree near
Planheld during storm. Lightning struck the
aud fced him to the ground One OF his shoes was
torn OF completely and hurled some distance away. Tho
other shoe ripped and burned Both legs wers
swollen and portions Of his body wero burned and dis
colorei. For some time afterward he was unable 70
speak.
the Field Building Sunday noon played havoc with
IL. portion Of the gded ball on the top OF the
POLE nearly 800 feet above the pavement, was broken
OF aud carried away. The bolt then passed in
pr.l course around the POLE .Rns sS%v
the pole looked though 1t bad been through severe
battle and had been torn by shot. what became OF
the bolt lightning after leaving the pole cannot DO
asccrtsined The copper roofing At Quo SIDE was
melted by Its passage but no other damage could DO
found yesterday trace the course OF its passage
The ghtning struck large chestnut tree In PROS
pcct Park Brooklyn, Sunday night near the Dairy
Cottage and cut II do to the root The wind
also uprooted score OF dnc trees In the Park. Two
flagstaff, In the Navy Yard In Brood yn we're struck
by lightning and badly shattered. Tho IRON fence
around tue reservoir on Mount Prospect near the
main entrance to Prospect Park, was also struck by
lightning The wiud blew OF portion OF the TIN ROOF
Of the Kings County Asylum in Flatoush on sunday,
and caused much eIeitement among the insane Ia,
IN ,tes. The rain saturated the ceilings OF the rooms
IN tho upper ward OF the west wing so that twentys1
patients had to DO removed to other quarters. Inc
numoer OF shade trees blown down In brooklyn
was n!net y-iour
The storms did not do much damage to the trees In
Central Park. In some OF the denSer crowns
branches torn away By the heavy gusts oil wnd,
but in instance any OF the trees torn up Dy
the they In some OF the streets through
the city
That s partly due, Of the gardeners said, to
the fact that the roots OF trees the streets Deneah
the pavement: likely to become weakened by the
gas In tho soil" II ~.
No serious damage TO shipping by che squalls OF
Sunday were reported yesterday. The steamer
Advance from Rio Jsneiro and West Indian ports,
met the storm OF Barnegat and some damage was
done to the deck The passengers we're gres'iy ei-
cited tor a time. An unknown schooner Is saiu 70
have run ashore the south side oil Governors
Island, but she got of about III D. m. ana wen. on
down tn. ba,. The wind blew down trees and out
houses on Governor Island 70 O lively oIten lug
schooner Grace ID. Chambers, Captain Lane wnion
arrived here ye.terday from Newport news Win
cargo OF coal. while anchored oil GraVtsend on ouh-
DAY. lost her maiusail IN the squall.
The damage 10 telegraph wiret by the Ihrlous
storms was much less than the apparent vioieueo Va
the winds leL most people to expect In pas,no,s
circles IL was n matter Of congrstulaton vesS.uay
was prepared to learn that lines were down IN sli
directions and possibly disappointed that lts OK
peotations not realized In iacS the interruP-
ons ere not seroue and before the opening OF pus
ness at tho principal Exchanges the damages nso
been practically repaired. The Western Union nelc
grapb Company suffered some delay South ana East
but before noon was able to send messages h Aii
directions without hindrauce. u,a -.
The telegraph and telephone wires were al uo"n ss
Montolar, N. J on Sunday, and sii communIoS.o,i ,
betwesn that D ace and Jersey City and New
Was cut od.
THE DAY WAS NOT SO HOT AS 1T sEEhED.
NEw-YoRK PEOPLE HAVE NO CAUSE TO CoMrLAiN
UNTIL THE Hot WAVE COMES.
An. "A. u,oi.nk ~ xartfopa ou Sunday the weather